Arlington coming down on Monday

The City of Red Deer, which purchased the Arlington Inn earlier this, says it will take three or four days to completely tear down the 110-year-old structure.

“Our contractor has completed the environmental work, and is ready to take down the structure,” Howard Thompson, Land and Economic Development Manager for the city, said Friday.

Based on requests from the public, the contractor has arranged for bricks to be available for purchase. Individuals can call 403-343-8000.

The hotel site is to be redeveloped eventually as part of plans to revitalize the Greater Downtown area. The total cost of purchasing the site and demolishing the building is $1.5 million. The building has been empty now for several months.

Demolition will begin on the west side of the building, moving to the east side.

Lane and sidewalk closures in place include:

l the two left lanes of 51st Avenue between Ross Street and 48th Street

l the sidewalk on the west and south sides of the Arlington

l the left lane on 49th Street between 51st Avenue and 50th Avenue.

l the alley on the north and east sides of the Arlington

The city asks the public to abide by signage during the tearing down.

“Although impact of the demolition is minimized with the contractor using the attached parking lot to pull down and remove large materials, citizens should be aware that materials may come loose and present a risk during the process,” Thompson said.

While efforts were made by some people to save the building, the city maintained the building had deteriorated over the years to the point it was not possible to save or restore it.